Earl Hugh of Winchester

Earl Hugh of Winchester (1 March 1261-27 October 1326), also known as Hugh Despenser the Elder, was the first and last earl of Winchester from 1322 to 1326, serving as the baron of the House of Despenser.

Biography
Hugh Despenser the Elder was born on 1 March 1261 to the English Catholic House of Despenser, a dynasty of Anglo-Normans. His father Baron Hugh of Despenser was killed at the Battle of Evesham in 1265 while the younger Hugh was only a boy, and Hugh served King Edward I of England as a general and a courtier on numerous occasions. Hugh was only Justice of the Forests in 1312 when his son Hugh Despenser entered a homosexual relationship with King Edward II of England, and Edward decided to give the Despensers more power. Hugh was made Earl of Winchester by Edward, and the nepotism in England led to a rebellion against Edward and the Despensers in 1321. Roger Mortimer's revolt was crushed and he was exiled, but in 1326 Roger and Edward's wife Isabella of France invaded England with a small army of rebels and mercenaries.

From 18 October to 26 October 1326, Hugh was besieged in the city of Bristol by 1,500 rebels, and Isabella freed her imprisoned daughters Eleanor of Woodstock and Joan of the Tower. Hugh was forced to surrender after an eight-day siege, and he was immediately hung by the neck until dead while still wearing his armor. In November, his son was also captured and executed.